Reserving Places on Friday and Preventing People from Sitting in Them

Q: A questioner asks about reserving places on Friday and keeping them for people behind the imam, and preventing those who come to sit in them... and so on. And about the position of the followers behind the funeral prayer?

A: The mosque belongs to whoever arrives first, so it is not permissible for anyone to reserve a place in the mosque. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: meaning: do not cast lots. Therefore, reserving a place is a matter that is not permissible and is usurpation of the space, and there is no right for the one who usurps it. The one who arrives first is more deserving of it and has a stronger right to it until people move forward to the prayer with their own bodies.
And the people in funeral prayers are behind the imam, and there is leniency in the rows of funeral prayers. This is based on what Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah (may Allah have mercy on them) narrated from Malik ibn Hubayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: For this reason, the aforementioned Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) , when the group was small, would arrange them in three rows, even if they were not full.